Tuesday, 5 January 2016

Lassa fever: Lagos Lawmaker Urges Residents To Be Cautious

Member of the Lagos state house of assembly, Segun Olulade, has
called on residents in the state to be cautious and report to the
nearest hospital any symptoms of Lassa fever.

Olulade, who is the chairman house committee on health service, while
reacting to the news from

Taraba State, where the outbreak of Lassa
fever has been confirmed, with one person dead and two others
quarantined, advised Lagosians to look out for every symptoms of the
disease and immediately report if any is discovered within the
community.

Some of the symptoms according to the lawmaker include nasal
bleeding, bleeding through the anus and mouth, adding that people
usually get infected with the Lassa Virus after being exposed to
infected rodents, while person to person transmission occurs through
direct contact with the sick person.

Credit: Vanguard

Lassa fever is described as an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of
one to four weeks duration that occurs in West Africa. Experts say it is
transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items
contaminated with rodent urine or fecal matter.